Carding machine drive

ABSTRACT

A variable speed card drive for varying the speed of feed and doffing components from zero to a creep speed suitable for carrying out maintenance operations, such as putting up an end of sliver, to a predetermined operating speed, includes a variable speed mechanism, a movable control arm for controlling the output speed of the variable speed mechanism, and an assembly having a pair of fluid operated cylinders and piston rods connected to the control arm for progressively positioning the control arm in a first position responsive to the action of one of the cylinders for achieving the creep speed, and in a second position responsive to the action of the other cylinder for achieving operating speed so that the card components may be slowly accelerated to creep speed and, following servicing of the carding machine, to operating speed.

United States Patent [191 Brown CARDING MACHINE DRIVE [75] Inventor:Thomas C. Brown, Greenville, S.C.

[73] Assignee: John D. Hollingsworth on Wheels,

Inc., Greenville, S.C.

[22] Filed: Aug. 27, 1973 [21] Appl.No.: 391,566

OTHER PUBLICATIONS Niemann, German application 1,011,329 printed June27, 1957 19-240 51 May 6,1975

Primary ExaminerDorsey Newton Attorney, Agent, or FirmBailey & Dority[57] ABSTRACT A variable speed card drive for varying the speed of feedand doffing components from zero to a creep speed suitable for carryingout maintenance operations, such as putting up an end of sliver, to apredetermined operating speed, includes a variable speed mechanism, amovable control arm for controlling the output speed of the variablespeed mechanism, and an assembly having a pair of fluid operatedcylinders and piston rods connected to the control arm for progressivelypositioning the control arm in a first position responsive to the actionof one of the cylinders for achieving the creep speed, and in a secondposition responsive to the action of the other cylinder for achievingoperating speed so that the card components may be slowly accelerated tocreep speed and, following servicing of the carding machine, tooperating speed.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PMENTEDMAY ems CYLINDER EXHAUST /36 i SUPPLYAIR SUPPLY AIR /46 c :EHAUST CONTROL -40 47 X CONTROL VALVE VALVE 49SOL. 46a. SOL.

SUPPLY VOLTAGE 42 43 SUPPLY'FVOLTAGE'.

ll i q n CONTROL CYL'NDER CONTROL CONTACTS y 39 CONTACTS CARDING MACHINEDRIVE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Variable speed drive mechanisms havebeen provided for bringing the carding components to creep speed andthen to operating speed. Such devices have included mechanicalcomponents, but there has been a difficulty in achieving uniform speedtransitions from one speed to the other as are necessitated by thecharacteristics of the carding apparatus having rotating members withhigh inertial forces and separated by considerable distances. Theproblem is aggravated by space limitations in the mill, as well as theeconomics of the operations.

Accordingly, it is an important object of the present invention toprovide a versatile variable speed control device for bringing thecarding components relating to doffing from zero to creep speed, andfrom creep speed to an operating speed. A uniform transition is providedwherein, variable speed mechanism is controlled by fluid operating meansfor progressively moving the controls of the variable speed mechanism.The variable speed mechanism itself provides a uniform output withoutstepping or abrupt variations.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a card drivewherein the doffing mechanism may be brought to creep speed, and fromcreep speed to operating speed in uniform transition, and which may beeasily controlled without excessive maintenance, and with relatively lowinitial cost.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION It has been found that by employing apair of fluid operated cylinders and pistons assembled in fixed alignedrelation to each other the control arm of a variable speed mechanism maybe moved at a predetermined rate to vary the output of a steplessvariable speed transmission mechanism from zero to creep speed, and fromcreep to operating speed. In other words, a control arm of a steplessvariable speed device may be moved uniformly through a predeterminedfirst range responsive to movement of a cylinder and piston assembly,and then moved uniformly through a further predetermined rangeresponsive thereto, to provide a further uniform speed increase.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The construction designed to carry outthe invention will be hereinafter described, together with otherfeatures thereof.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of thefollowing specification and by reference to the accompanying drawingforming a part thereof, wherein an example of the invention is shown andwherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a carding machine providedwith a drive constructed in accordance with the present invention,

FIG. 2 is a schematic electrical and flow diagram illustrating theoperating controls of a card drive constructed in accordance with theinvention,

FIG. 3 is a side elevation further illustrating the mechanicalcomponents of the card drive in a creep speed position, and

FIG. 4 is a schematic side elevation further illustrating the componentspositioned for operating speeds.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The drawing illustrates a cardingmachine and the like, having means for feeding fibers to a main cylinderand means for doffing fibers from the main cylinder in the form of aweb. A drive mechanism controlling the speed of each of said meanscomprises a drive including a variable speed mechanism A for drivingconnection to said feeding means and said doffing means for acceleratingsaid means to a predetermined creep speed at a predetermined rate, andfor further accelerating said means at a predetermined rate for drivingsame at a predetermined operating speed. A movable control arm Bcontrols the output speed of the variable speed mechanism. A pair ofaligned connected fluid operated cylinders and pistons C comprise anassembly which is connected to the control arm for positioning thecontrol arm in a first position responsive to one action of saidassembly for achieving creep speed, and in a second position responsiveto another action of said assembly for achieving operating speed. Thus,the feeding and doffing means may be slowly accelerated followingservicing of the carding machine to operating speed.

The carding machine illustrated has the usual frame 10 carrying a maincylinder 11. The fiber lap 12 is supported between standards 13 and thelap is fed under the usual feed roll (not shown) to the licker-in roll14. The licker-in roll is driven in the usual manner from the maincylinder drive which includes the motor 15 carried by suitable supportbracket 16. The licker-in drives a pulley 17 carried thereby which, inturn, drives a belt 18. The belt 18 drives a suitable pulley and thelike, illustrated at 19. The pulley 19 is carried by an input shaft, aportion of which is illustrated at 20, which projects from the variablespeed transmission mechanism A. The variable speed transmissionmechanism A is carried by a vertical frame support 21 which has fixedconnection with the floor of the mill as by bolts 21a (FIGS. 3 and 4),and has a casing 22 from which the shaft 20 projects. The variable speedmechanism A has an output shaft, a portion of which is illustrated at23, projecting beyond the casing thereof. The output shaft 23 carries agear 24, similar to the customary change gear for driving the doffergear 25 which drives the doffer and, in turn, drives feed mechanism inthe usual way. The doffer is illustrated at 26, and a suitable means fortaking off the web is schematically illustrated at 27. The web 28 thusremoved from the doffer passes between the customary calender rolls 29from which it emerges as a sliver 30 which is put up into a suitablecoiler head 31 from whence it is delivered to the can 32.

The variable speed transmission mechanism A may be any suitable variablespeed power transmission, but best results have been achieved utilizingmechanical variable speed drives of the type provided by ZERO- MAXIndustries, Inc. of 2845 Harriett Ave., South, Minneapolis, Minnesota.Such transmissions give stepless variable speed from zero to maximumresponsive to movement of a control arm B. The control arm B isillustrated as having connection with a stub shaft 33 which extendsthrough the casing 22 of the variable speed mechanism A for controllingthe output speed of the mechanism. The movable control arm B has pivotalconnection on its other end as at 34 with a piston rod 35 associatedwith the double-acting cylinder 36. The fluid operated assembly includesan additional doubleacting cylinder 37 positioned in line and inend-to-end relation therewith. The double-acting cylinder 37 has apiston rod 38 associated therewith which has pivotal connection as at 39with the frame 21.

The schematic flow diagram of FIG. 2 illustrates two, preferablydouble-acting, air cylinders 36 and 37 mounted in line, end to end.These cylinders could also be connected to each other in a side-by-sidealigned arrangement (not shown). The control valves 40 and 41 havesuitable spring returns which, with suitable solenoids de-energized,hold the valves in the position shown in FIG. 2. Thus, the piston rodsof respective cylinders are held in a fully retracted position as whenthe doffer is not being driven and is at rest.

The control contacts 42 and 43 represent any type of electrical orelectronic switching device which controls electrical power to the valvesolenoids. Such may be manually operated or operated by or inconjunction with any of a variety of available stop motion devicesavailable for cards for stopping the mechanism entirely or reducing sameto creep speed.

Suitable metering valves, described below, permit the speed of actuationof the cylinders to be controlled by restricting flow of air out of thecylinders by way of exhaust therefrom. In this manner, the position ofthe control arm B can be slowly shifted to cause a gradual change in theoutput speed of the variable speed drive mechanism A. The meteringvalves can be separate items mounted in the air lines, or they can be anintegral part of the control valves as illustrated.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 both sets of-control contacts 42 and 43 are open, thesolenoids of both control valves are de-energized, the piston rods ofboth air cylinders 36 and 37 are retracted, and the control arm is insuch a position as to cause the output shaft of the variable speed drivemechanism A to have no rotation.

In FIG. 3, the control contacts 42 actuating cylinder 37 would have beenclosed, energizing the solenoid of valve 40. The solenoid would haveshifted the valve into the second position allowing air to flow into theopposite end of the cylinder. As the cylinder extends its piston rod 38,it moves the control arm into the position shown in FIG. 3 and holds itthere. This is the slow speed or creep speed position and produces arotational speed of the output shaft 23 which is approximately percentof the operational rotational speed obtainable. This is approximately Aof the speed of the input shaft 20.

In FIG. 4, the control contacts 43 for valve 41 would have also beenclosed, energizing the solenoid for that valve. Valve 41 has operatedallowing air to extend the piston rod of cylinder 36. The cylinder 36gradually moves the control arm B until the arm is stopped by the highspeed adjustment screw 44 and holds it there. The high speed adjustmentscrew is illustrated as being carried by an offset bracket 45 upon theframe 21, but any suitable stop would be satisfactory so long asprovision is made for adjusting resulting speed. The control arm is nowin the high speed or operating speed position and produces a rotationalspeed of the output shaft 23 which lies between the slow speed and themaximum obtainable. It will be observed that the cylinder 37 is servicedthrough lines 46 and 47, respectively, connected to valve 40, and thateach line has a metering valve 46a and 47a, respectively. Cylinder 36 isserviced through lines 48 and 49, each line having respective meteringvalves 48a and 49a.

As seen from the above description, the operation is dependent onopening and closing of the control contacts 42 and 43. The method ofopening and closing these contacts can be as simple as the manualmovement of a toggle switch by the machine operator, or as sophisticatedas tying the system into safety sensors on the machine with specialtiming controls to produce any cycle of operation required by anyapplication.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described usingspecific terms, such description is for illustrative purposes only, andit is to be understood that changes and variations may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in a carding machine and the like having means for feedingfibers to a main cylinder and means for doffing fibers from the maincylinder in the form of a web, a drive mechanism controlling the speedof each of said means comprising:

A. a frame;

B. a drive including variable speed mechanism carried by said frame fordriving connection to said feeding means and said doffing means foraccelerating said feeding means and said doffing to a predeterminedcreep speed at a predetermined rate for driving same at a predeterminedoperating speed;

C. a movable control arm controlling the output speed of said variablespeed mechanism; and

D. first and second aligned fluid operated cylinder and pistonassemblies having cylinders rigidly connected to each other, said firstassembly being pivoted with respect to said control arm and said secondassembly being pivoted with respect to said frame, for progressivelypositioning said control arm in a first position responsive to theaction of one of said cylinders for achieving said creep speed and in asecond position responsive to the action of the other of said cylindersfor achieving operating speed;

E. whereby said feeding means and doffing means may be slowlyaccelerated to creep speed and following servicing of the cardingmachine to operating speed.

2. The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said cylinders aredouble-acting and including, a valve means and adjustable stop meanslimiting movement of said

1. For use in a carding machine and the like having means for feedingfibers to a main cylinder and means for doffing fibers from the maincylinder in the form of a web, a drive mechanism controlling the speedof each of said means comprising: A. a frame; B. a drive includingvariable speed mechanism carried by said frame for driving connection tosaid feeding means and said doffing means for accelerating said feedingmeans and said doffing to a predetermined creep speed at a predeterminedrate for driving same at a predetermined operating speed; C. a movablecontrol arm controlling the output speed of said variable speedmechanism; and D. first and second aligned fluid operated cylinder andpiston assemblies having cylinders rigidly connected to each other, saidfirst assembly being pivoted with respect to said control arm and saidsecond assembly being pivoted with respect to said frame, forprogressively positioning said control arm in a first positionresponsive to the action of one of said cylinders for achieving saidcreep speed and in a second position responsive to the action of theother of said cylinders for achieving operating speed; E. whereby saidfeeding means and doffing means may be slowly accelerated to creep speedand following servicing of the carding machine to operating speed. 2.The structure set forth in claim 1, wherein said cylinders aredouble-acting and including, a valve means progressively controlling theactions of said cylinders and adjustable stop means limiting movement ofsaid arm.